For the first time in nearly a decade, Cincinnati has a resident dance company: Moving Art.

From an explosion of world dance, impressive performances and a new company, to actual construction and reconstruction, 2004 has been a vital time for dance in Cincinnati. Paralleling our city's burgeoning visual arts scene (particularly among emerging creators), dance continues to expand its reach into the local culture -- beyond the usual venues. I've noticed a surge in the visibility of ethnic and world dance. BI-OKOTO AFRICAN DRUM AND DANCE ENSEMBLE, with recent performances at the Contemporary Arts Center for the Fela Anikulapo-Kuti show opening and at their Essex Building studio, remain busy spreading the essential rhythms of West African dance. GAIANANDA MUSIC AND DANCE ENSEMBLE has also recently performed its multicultural fusion of gypsy, flamenco and belly dance styles at the Contemporary Arts Center and appears one Saturday each month at Newport on the Levee. Presenting Afro-Brazilian capoeira (a martial art/dance combo), NEGO GATO represented a unique, if daring, offering at Miami University program. And the lively Afro-Peruvian music and dance group PERU NEGRO made their first area appearance at the Madison Theater. ...

Construction on performance space for the CINCINNATI BALLET continues in Over-the-Rhine. Will it be ready in time for the Come Together Festival in March, as slated? Speaking of additions, the ballet company's two new dancers from Cuba have proven themselves more than worthy of the buzz surrounding their arrival. CERVILIO AMADOR and ADIARYS ALMEIDA are young, exceedingly talented and a joy to watch -- especially their pirouettes. This year, the ballet undertook an important project noticed well beyond our region: the re-assembly of Léonide Massine's "lost" 1938 ballet, Seventh Symphony. Ballet Mistress JOHANNA WILT painstakingly reconstructed the work's allegorical choreography from original 16mm archival film footage. Original cast member and Artistic Director Emeritus FREDERIC FRANKLIN provided supplemental input. Even sets and costumes were faithfully rendered to bring the complex work back to life. ...

Highlights of stellar performances this year must include the annual GALA OF INTERNATIONAL BALLET STARS, presented by BALLET TECH OHIO. Comprised of an elite cast of international principal dancers, this year's showcase featured top-notch talent from such acclaimed companies as American Ballet Theatre and Dance Theatre of Harlem, and National Ballet of Canada. It was exhilarating to see such consistently outstanding talent demonstrated through flawless technique and diverse choreography throughout the evening. Another equally breathtaking performance courtesy of ballet tech ohio came from COMPLEXIONS. Led by two former principal dancers with Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, the genre-defying company doesn't believe in mediocrity. It was pure pleasure to watch -- sensual in the way you enjoy a rich, decadent dessert. Sadly, there wasn't a huge crowd that night to share it. ...

Presented by CONTEMPORARY DANCE THEATRE, Harlem-based BILL T. JONES and his celebrated company returned to town this year. I adore their work: It's so personal, yet it remains compelling in its boundary-pushing. Each year in early June, CDT's CHOREOGRAPHERS WITHOUT COMPANIES CONCERT offers an unparalleled glimpse into the diverse work of local and regional choreographers (er, without companies). A favorite piece from this year's show was the delightful work "Peleton" (French term for a pack of cyclists), in which choreographer JERI GATCH presented a high-energy tour into the subculture of serious bicycling. Dancers explored scenarios from racing rivalries to riding "in the saddle." Music by Kraftwerk featuring sampled sounds from cyclists racing enhanced the free-wheeling mood. ...

Cincinnati had lacked a resident modern dance company for far too long -- but MOVING ART DANCE COMPANY set out to change that in 2004. Operating under the umbrella of Cincinnati Experimental Arts (the folks behind the Fringe Festival), the ensemble kicked off its inaugural season with Still Elements, presented at Gabriel's Corner. Get ready for more fresh work to come! It's my resolution that in 2005 fewer people will look puzzled when I mention modern dance. In any case, I'll remember 2004 as a vibrant year for Cincinnati's dance scene. The times, they are a-changin'.